Vaughan hopes for first July win

Trainer Vaughan Marshall has had great success over the years, but victory in the Vodacom Durban July has eluded him.

Tomorrow he goes into the Grade 1 race over 2 200m at Greyville with two highly regarded three-year-olds in Linebacker and Rascallion. But who does Marshall feel will have that winning edge?

“I’d just like to win it. It doesn’t matter which one,” he says.

Linebacker has undoubtedly been the pick of the pair so far and has managed to finish one place ahead of his stable companion on all six occasions they have met.

However in the Daily News 2000, as Marshall points out, nothing closed quicker than Rascallion, who finished 0.70 lengths behind Linebacker in second.

“If the race had been any further, he would have won it,” said Marshall.

“Linebacker is a bit of an anomaly. He is by a sprinting sire out of a sprinting mare, but has been brilliant up to 2 000m.

“Racsallion has some staying blood. He’s very honest and over 2 200m, he could turn out to be the better of the two.”

Despite his excellent record with his last three victories comprising the Grade 1 Cape Derby, the Grade 2 KZN Guineas and the Grade 1 Daily News 2000, Linebacker has yet to race outside his age group.

“Yes, it is the first time he is running against older horses, but he is a big, strong horse and I don’t think it will be a problem,” said Marshall.

“He has matured and [his bigrace jockey] Grant van Niekerk rides him very well.”

Rascallion has run against his elders and finished a 3.05-length fourth behind Crown Towers in the Sledgehammer over 1 750m at Scottsville.

“That was my mistake,” said Marshall.

“I should not have run him in that race. It was just five weeks after he had been gelded and it was too soon.”

What does delight Marshall is that his two runners are drawn numbers six and seven in the starting gate.

“I think that’s ideal. I would not want to be drawn on the inside or the outside. I’m happy to be drawn where I am. That gives the jockeys the opportunity to get them out and place them.”

And is he happy the pair are drawn alongside one another?

“They do know each other very well, so it might put them in a bit of a comfort zone,” he quipped.

“But not much else.”

He is also not too worried about the pace: “I suspect it will be an honest pace – not too quickor too slow, and that should ensure a clean-run race.”

The dangers? “You’ve got to respect Rainbow Bridge and Got The Greenlight, who looks very well weighted.”

Marshall gives chances to some of his other runners on the day.

“I think Black Knapp has a big chance in Race 3. I also like Silver Operator in Race 10. I’ve finally got him right after a long layoff and I’m expecting a decent run, while Gainsford, who was second reserve in Race 9, has got into the race and I think he can run well.”